Some people call it life’s ups and downs. But for me, the chorus of an old song just keeps repeating in my mind: “What goes up must come down.”
Former dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. ruled the country for two decades. He eventually was deposed by the 1986 Edsa people power uprising. Power comes and goes. When former President Rodrigo Duterte called God stupid, he was at the height of his power and firmly in control of his body. He obviously felt invincible. I predicted at that time that as he ages, he would develop a different impression of God. Because when power and our physique weaken, we usually look for somebody to start propping us up. We usually reach out to God in our waning years.
I don’t know what the former president is thinking now in his prison in The Hague, Netherlands. Photos of his comfortable cell have been shown on Facebook. I remember that time, too, when I was arrested and placed in a room whose windows my captors covered with manila paper. The place was comfortable, true, but what killed you was the loneliness. Alone, many thoughts visit your mind. You feel both vulnerable and mortal. You are no longer the invincible one. I remember asking my captors to give me something to read, like a Bible. I was given a Mormon book instead.
It is not difficult to see what happens after one assumes power. One has to face the inevitability of losing that power. That is why rulers need to rule well so that when the end comes, they will not pay for the excesses that they invested while in power. More so when they target God and call Him “stupid.” As Cebuanos would often say, “wa gyuy pagbasol nga maguna.” This is perhaps the reason why the son of the original Macoy, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., seems to be following a more benevolent path than what his father laid down in the past.
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Eighteen self-styled former Marines claimed to have given money to some officials amounting to billions of pesos, but many people took those claims with a grain of salt. Their lawyer and whoever was orchestrating the claims have complained because nobody seems to be taking them seriously. They apparently misjudged people’s intellect. They thought that they could be fooled easily.
I like how Sen. Panfilo Lacson looked into those claims. Using a good dose of common sense, he was able to punch holes in the claims. Those who made those claims have been reduced to nothing but jokes. This was unlike the exposés in the past that resulted in government officials eventually leaving their posts or being impeached. Let us now see what will happen to efforts to go after Vice President Sara Duterte.
I agree that diehard Duterte supporters are still a force to be reckoned with. But like the Marcos loyalists before, their strength will weaken. More so if Sara loses in the 2028 elections. Personality-based politics weakens as the power of the leader at the helm fades. But since it is the kind of politics we Filipinos are fond of, I suggest we put a better personality at the helm in 2028. I want former VP Leni Robredo to take the lead.